Medical Tourism anyone?

Corin7hian

Corin7hian

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So im in a bit of a predicament. I have had a herniated disk in my lower lumbar spine (L5-S1) for about 10 years now and it has really been a nightmare for me in life. I have had to drop out of a private trades college i was attending, i have had to quit jobs on the spot if i have had a flare up (im basically bed ridden for weeks at a time), i cant pursue jobs that can accumulate stress over time in that area like sitting in a cubicle all day long or even some sort of skilled trade that i have to physically labor at. Needless to say it's crippled many aspects of my life. Now im in university and because i have been sitting down so damn much lately im getting a crazy stiff lower back and usually that's a sign that right around the corner a flare-up is about to ensue any day now if i don't play my cards well. I have been stretching my hips, foam rolling, epsom salt baths, decrompression (been hanging off a pullup bar for time) but it simply will not go away.

What i currently need is an MRI to make absolute certain that it either is or is not a disk issue because that will allow me to receive proper treatment from a physio. But heres the thing, getting an MRI in Canada is a nightmare. It takes months to secure an appointment and then even longer to get the results. In my experience there has never been a point asking for one and they do nothing for people like me anyways so im usually paying for physio out of pocket. I looked up some prices to get an MRI with instant results printed and im hearing figures of like $700+. So i had an idea. Why not just go to Cuba for like $500-$700 all inclusive, maybe pay like $50-$100 dollars extra for an MRI (just pulling those numbers out of my ass) and at least chill on the beach........maybe get some dental while im at it. Does this seem like a smart idea?

Has any one traveled over seas for any medical procedures? any experiences you would like to share?
 
Wouldn't the plane ride from Canada to Cuba hurt your back more?
 
I got treated for chlamydia in Jakarta one time. Does that count?
 
Where in Canada are you? My husband and I get lightning fast procedures whenever we need.
 
Nonsense said:
Where in Canada are you? My husband and I get lightning fast procedures whenever we need.
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Toronto. The first time i went to book an MRI it took 6 months to get an appointment and then another 6 months to get the results. The second time it took around 8 months in total to receive my results.
 
I just watched Morgan Spurlocks "Inside Man" on netflix about this exact subject. season 3 "Club Med". ck it out. I would do it, that place looks nice, airfare might be a killer.
 
Corin7hian said:
Toronto. The first time i went to book an MRI it took 6 months to get an appointment and then another 6 months to get the results. The second time it took around 8 months in total to receive my results.
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I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm in BC and both BC and Ontario have an online medical service that allows you to access test results without an appointment so you can see them yourself.

There are a lot of ways to get an MRI earlier too - one way is to call to get yourself on a cancellation list and then call weekly to check on cancellations. We always get in much sooner than scheduled, without fail.
 
Nonsense said:
I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm in BC and both BC and Ontario have an online medical service that allows you to access test results without an appointment so you can see them yourself.

There are a lot of ways to get an MRI earlier too - one way is to call to get yourself on a cancellation list and then call weekly to check on cancellations. We always get in much sooner than scheduled, without fail.
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Hmmm is there a link you could potentially provide to this? Its been a very long time since i have had to deal with this so perhaps things have been smoothed over since.
 
It's myehealth.ca

But it looks like only LifeLab results are available in Ontario.
 
Are you really sure you can get MRI that easy in Cuba? And with the same quality of service?
 
Why does it take so long? Can you not afford private medical cover?
 
LC Shepard said:
Are you really sure you can get MRI that easy in Cuba? And with the same quality of service?
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To be honest no I'm not completely sure but read this article

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/health...edical-tourism-as-revenue-generator-1.1397531

Apparently Cuba has invested a bit into the health sector for this exact purpose of medical tourism. I beleive its this article that states it but the idea is that in America (or Canada) you pay for the doctors time, which is expensive. In Cuba how ever they essentially get paid like everyone else so everything is dirt cheap. People go there for plastic surgery, eye surgery, drugs and more. Apparently Cuba wants you to spend money on this down there. A boob job is like $1200 compared to $6000 in the US
 
Supereem said:
Why does it take so long? Can you not afford private medical cover?
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Well I'm not trying to bash Canada's health system. It has been very good overall but they don't really take low back issues all that seriously which is unfortunate considering the implications of it. It essentially ruined my life in my early 20s. They take forever getting MRIs done, takes forever to see a back specialist, if you don't have insurance physio isn't covered. I have heard the government invested more money into low back health and that there are certain clinics that can take care of diagnostics more hastily but I need it like now.

How much does private medical insurance go for? I'm actually insanley healthy and never go to the doctors (maybe like twice a year if that). Is seasonal health insurance a thing?
 
Corin7hian said:
Well I'm not trying to bash Canada's health system. It has been very good overall but they don't really take low back issues all that seriously which is unfortunate considering the implications of it. It essentially ruined my life in my early 20s. They take forever getting MRIs done, takes forever to see a back specialist, if you don't have insurance physio isn't covered. I have heard the government invested more money into low back health and that there are certain clinics that can take care of diagnostics more hastily but I need it like now.

How much does private medical insurance go for? I'm actually insanley healthy and never go to the doctors (maybe like twice a year if that). Is seasonal health insurance a thing?
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Costs me a few hundred dollars a year for my Australian one. This year ive already made that back in dental cover. Ive been insured my whole life, but I think if you get on it you need to wait a bit before it kicks in properly (probably varies). This isn't my area of expertise I am afraid.

I think if you are healthy and have good teeth, you probably do not need it that bad. I usually only go to doctors once every 2 years for tonsillitis antibiotics (unless I am in a country that allows me to buy them without a perscription) or to the STD clinic for regular tests. The STD checks are free regardless of insurance and are world class in Australia (offer tests that most other countries don't have yet).

Australia usually has long waiting times for surgery, sometimes a few months for non critical tests and sometimes a few months to a year for non critical surgeries and procedures. I have never heard of having to wait that long for results though. Seems fucked up.
 
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